A Visit From Beyond the Veil
by DiscombobulatedDrummer
Summary: Remus sits in a dimly lit bar, trying to drown away his apprehensions. A friendly face comes to remind him that there can still be happiness.


**Author's notes:** This little idea had been in my head for almost 2 weeks. I finally wrote it and I'm pretty happy about it. I want to thank Mikki Amboree for the summary and Sandy for the title. It didn't take them long either. I hope you all will enjoy it. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer:** All the characters that you know are J.K. Rowlings, the others are mine.

**DiscombobulatedDrummer**

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A Visit from Beyond the Veil:**

Remus walked into the Three Broomsticks with the aroma of beer and cigars filling his nose. He walked slowly taking in the different atmosphere. The lighting was much darker than that of the outside. He sat at the bar and waited patiently for the bartender to arrive.

"Mr. Lupin, haven't seen nor heard of you in a while," the bartender asked wiping down the table. The young man was wearing a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He brown pants were worn out. His black shoes where almost as bad as his pants.

"Ben, please call me Remus. I finally got a chance to spend some hours to myself and this is where I go," Remus replied showing Ben some respect by giving him a small grin.

"Well, don't fret on it, mate. Whatcha like to drink," Ben asked throwing the towel over his shoulder. Some of the liquid that Ben had soaked up found it's way onto Remus face.

"Fire Whiskey," Remus grumbled as he wiped his forehead.

"Bring me one mate," a man replied that just sat down by Lupin. "Do you mind?"

"No, it's quite alright," Remus answered, but thought coarsely of the man. Remus just wanted to sit by himself. He wanted to get drunk and fall asleep.

Remus studied the man who was sitting on his left. He wore a very old worn out brown cloak with khakis and brown shoes. The man's dark almost black hair was to his ears. He seemed to not have been in a decent place in a while. His face sported a 5'oclock shadow, but what surprised Remus was the eyes. They seemed light blue almost gray. They were so familiar to him. You could almost read the man's soul with his eyes.

"What brings a guy like you here," the man asked holding the glass. He fingered the edge of it.

"Excuse me," Remus turned to face the man.

"You look like a very sensible man. What made you come here?"

"I needed somewhere to think," Remus replied taking a sip. The contents burned his throat as it traveled down to his stomach.

"To think. Well, this is the place, aye," the man replied as he motioned to Remus to look behind them. Two men were arguing about who was the best Quidditch player. At another table a woman was leaving the man who was still sitting. She had just poured a glass of water on him.

Remus chuckled as he took another sip, "Yea"

"Girl trouble," the man asked looking at Lupin. He had the face that reminded Remus of Sirius.

Remus nodded a little, "Kind of."

"I do believe that it's hard to carry on a relationship right now."

"I agree," Remus said.

"But it's better now than never, right,"

"I guess..," Remus answered looking at the fizz of the whiskey.

"What makes you doubt that," the man asked looking at Remus' hands motions. The scars were very red on his pale hands.

"I dunno," Remus replied as he shook his head to try to get a piece of hair out from under his eyes.

"Do you love her?" he asked now turning to see Lupin's expression. Remus almost coughed at the Fire Whiskey. The man tried hard not to laugh.

"What?" Remus asked trying to clear his throat.

"I'm sorry. I just wondered, if you loved her?" he apologized.

Remus stared at the man's face. His eyes were just like Sirius'. "Yes," he answered.

"Does she love you?"

Remus looked downwards disconnecting the emotion that the older man was sitting. "Unfortunately, yes."

The man looked confused, "What do you mean by that?"

"She deserves better," Remus answered.

"I don't quite understand," the man replied turning all the way facing Lupin.

"I can't give her what she wants," Remus whispered

"What if it's you that she wants?" the man questioned.

"I can't give myself to her," Remus replied

"Listen," the man said as he looked forcefully in Remus' eyes. "I had a friend once who was a…werewolf," he whispered the last part. "But, he didn't let his condition….stop him from what he wanted."

"Erm…what did he want?" Remus asked with a curious tone of voice.

"Acceptance," the man replied a short tone.

There was, what seemed like a long period of silence, was just seconds that passed by. Remus studied his hands as they laid upon his legs.

"I don't want to hurt her," Remus replied looking back at the man with glassy eyes.

"I think she knows the consequence of being with you. Of course she's an auror, she knows what she is doing. She loves you, that's why she is risking it. You seem like a man that deserves more in his life then what's given to you. Maybe she is what is being offered to you, aye," the man explained.

Remus looked at his empty glass of Fire Whiskey. "Maybe," he whispered.

"Think about it," the man replied as he got up fast. "It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all," he finished as he patted Remus' shoulder. Remus looked at the man's fingers. Some had small tattoos imprinted on them.

"Well, I must be on my way. One can only buy himself so much Fire Whiskey, until he can't walk anymore," the man replied. "Nice talking to you, Remus."

Remus nodded until he looked at the man's cup. It was still full. Remus? I never mentioned my name! How does he know about Tonks? He thought to himself. He watched the man walk towards the door, "Padfoot?"

The man turned his head to where the name came from. He saw Remus standing up with a confused face. He winked at Remus. He turned and left with a sly grin upon his face.

Remus kept standing until Ben interrupted, "Sir, are you going to pay for that other Fire Whiskey? You ordered two remember?"

"Huh? No, there was a man there right be-," Remus answered but stopped when Ben shook his head.

"No one has sat by you all night," He replied.

Remus stared discombobulated at the young man, "Sirius…always leaving me with the bill aye,"he mumbled.

"What was that, sir?" Ben asked.

"Nothing….err….here." Remus answered giving the bartender the money.

Remus walked out of the pub shaking his head.

Inside, Ben shook his head as he drank the untouched Fire Whiskey, "That's an odd one there."

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**Author's ending notes:** Well, please review. I want to know what you thought about it. I'll give every reviewer a choice of their own piece of fruit. (apples, bananas, pine apples, grapes, and the occasional tomato)  
**DD**


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